Unilever becomes MTC's latest member

Global brand company joins MTC elite

Unilever, owner of hundreds of well-known household brands, has become the latest member of the pioneering Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.

The refreshments division of Unilever – manufacturer of the company’s ice cream and beverage brands - has joined the MTC and becomes one of several companies at the MTC representing the food and drink sector.

The company was officially welcomed to the MTC community by chief executive Dr Clive Hickman, and Unilever engineers will soon be working with MTC engineers and staff from other member companies to work on projects at the centre.

“Unilever is delighted to become a member of the MTC and I look forward to working with the food and drink cluster of the partnership to explore manufacturing innovations as well as the opportunity to collaborate with other industry groups in advancing manufacturing technology in the UK. The MTC’s expertise will complement our own technology and engineering expertise and allow us to bring new and emerging ideas to the Unilever business.”

The refreshments division at Unilever, with several manufacturing sites around the UK and Ireland, is responsible for the firm’s well-known ice cream and drinks brands including Walls, Magnum, Ben and Jerry’s, Cornetto, PG Tips, Lipton’s and Lyons.

Hickman said he was delighted that a company with the prestige and international reputation of Unilever had become a member of the MTC.

“We look forward to a rewarding relationship with Unilever. Engagement with the MTC provides Unilever with the ideal mechanism to work with complementary players in the food and drink supply chain, and working collaboratively to develop novel solutions to help the sector, while having the ability to influence and lobby Government to enable the sector to garner additional support for future research and development programmes,” he said.

“The MTC is a young and flexible organisation which is proving to be of enormous benefit to our members across all sectors, as are the impressive capabilities of our engineers and support staff.”